Hardware hacking

Craig · **Joined:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 3:01 pm **Posts:** 12

I've ordered my black anodized watch on Friday and am definitely looking forward to getting it! One area I'm interested in is hardware hacking and expanding the capabilities of the watch.

Is there any information on the hardware for the inPulse and possible expansion? Maybe any unsoldered pads on the board in the watch? Any way to expand past the choking constraint of one button?

One idea I had was to enable expansion by making a custom 'watch band' of modules linked with short lengths of flexible ribbon cable. Each watch band link module could add some additional function: another battery, a link with more buttons on it, accelerometer, etc. A simple bus would let you add modules in any configuration, with "null modules" to create enough links to make a proper band.

Eric · **Joined:** Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:07 pm **Posts:** 172

We haven't published any hardware docs yet, but nothing will stop you from yanking out the back plate and checking out the innards! I think you'll find the JTAG lines quite accessible. Unfortunately we don't have the time to support any hardware hacking endeavors at the moment, but I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Craig · **Joined:** Sat Feb 19, 2011 3:01 pm **Posts:** 12

A few schematics and a couple pictures go a long way. How about it? It worked wonders for the Arduino.

nastyninjabear · **Joined:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:18 pm **Posts:** 1

I think that is a brilliant idea. Modular attachments. I dont have an inPulse yet, but so far it seems to be exactly what im looking for. The ipod nano is garbage. The Sony LiveView is sooo close but i have seen way too many complains about connectivity.

This looks so promising, my major concern is the single input method. Its very limited. No accelerometer, no touch screen, no touch "frame", no extra buttons. I think it leaves you a bit limited on options for programming.

But still looks amazing, and i think I'll be getting one as soon as i can afford it. Im an android user though. Blackberry is dead.

Eric · **Joined:** Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:07 pm **Posts:** 172

I love all my phones! Android, BB, iPhone...all fun tools.

dferreira · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:33 pm

Is it possible to replace the battery with a larger capacity battery? I'm assuming yes. I'd like to mod mine to a >350mAh battery. Maybe anyone knows where I could get something with more juice ) maybe some battery provider could offer extended batteries for inPulse and we could order extras.

Stephanie · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:02 pm

You can get 3.7v LiPoly batteries in various capacities from places like Adafruit or Sparkfun -- http://www.adafruit.com & http://www.sparkfun.com -- the problem is, they aren't going to fit inside the watch. A battery with 3x the capacity is going to have 3x the volume of the existing one.

I've got a 900mAh LiPoly battery that has a footprint similar to the inPulse watch - I could see re-casing the watch and making it a different format, as a trade-off for all-day usage. Though if you have to dig it out of a purse or pocket, it loses the advantages of having it on your wrist.

Killer Turtle · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:05 pm

I think the best way to do the battery expansion would be to have the battery on the band, with a small connection of the side of the radio at the watch band connection to plug the battery into. Then allow the watches battery charging circuit charge both batteries. If you wanted to be slick you could incoporate the battery connections into the watch band connection so when each side of the push rod would be a connection.

You could also have the battery plug into the USB port, so it charges the watch battery, and then have a usb port on the watch band. You would then plug the USB charger cable into the watch band's usb port, it would charge the watch band battery which would charge the watch battery, then you would just have a small led on the watch band to show charging status, this way you know when it's done.

This could also be the power for the modules if they were created.

This actually would not be too hard to so, as I could get a Phone USB battery charger from wal-mart, and rewire it to work. Maybe I'll look into this and see what I can do, obviously the prototype may be larger than anyone would like.

Stephanie · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:08 pm

I could be mistaken but I'm pretty sure that you cannot just wire LiPoly batteries in parallel - or rather, you can but only if you're using a controller that is specifically built to handle parallel LiPoly cells. Otherwise you can get into some serious safety issues, with batteries overheating.

Killer Turtle · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:12 pm

No it would be in serial, the original USB cable would charge the band's battery, and the band's battery would charge the watch battery.

mclien · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:50 am **Posts:** 1

OK I have not one, but I once did a battery mod for the Abacus PDA:

http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117622
I don't know how the back plate looks at the petinpulse, but I think the road to go for more capacity would be very alike...
Just let me know, if I can help (or give hints)
BTW: the Abacus mod gives place for 650mAh (original 190mAh)

mclien

Hardware hacking

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